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What’s good for democracy can be bad for stability

When news stories about offshore tax schemes from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) started appearing, more than 500 Indians were identified as having illegal companies in tax havens overseas, but reactions in India were fairly muted. Across the border in Pakistan, though, reactions were vastly different.

The stories broke in April 2016 and, within days, protests against the erstwhile prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, rocked the nation. Rallies and marches were held across Pakistan, in markets, streets, during cricket matches, as well as in London and New York City. There was even a song urging him to go — saying that in every street and every lane, the news had spread that Sharif, whose name translates to “noble” … was a thief.

Then the furore died down and other issues hogged the headlines. And it may have blown away entirely,